The West Carrollton High School Marching Band is an extracurricular group that I’ve had the joy of being involved in for five years, from the eighth grade all the way up to my senior year. Over the years, I have been able to see members come and go, yet I have noticed that those that are passionate and skilled have a tendency to stick around. For some of these individuals, that passion and drive are even enough to become eligible to take up a leadership position amongst their peers. I am fortunate enough to call several of these individuals my friends, and one such person is Jesse Branton. A trombone player and a current student at the MVCTC, Jesse is currently a Junior and in the 2022 marching band season served as the Section Leader of the Low Brass. I recently had the opportunity to interview Jesse, and the insights he had into his experience are an interesting look into the life of marching band leadership.

Q: What was it like being in a position of leadership among your peers?

A: It allowed me to better help them and also helped my peers better help me with others because they could come to me instead of directly bringing problems to others.

Q: What were a few things you learned while performing in this role of leadership?

A: I learned how to better understand and bring problems up with people.

Q: How did this affect your marching band experience?

A: It made it so much better and allowed me to be closer with my friends and fellow peers.

Q: Will you attempt to do this again next year?

A: Yes I will. It was a fun experience.